Miniature German Shepherd

Does The Miniature German Shepherd Dog Really Exist?

Every now and then, we hear mention of a dog called the miniature German shepherd. This would be a dog that has the same coloring and feature of a full-grown German shepherd, but it is much smaller - barely larger than a lap dog. To clear up all of the confusion and answer the question once and for all: No. There is no such breed as the miniature German shepherd.

True Features Of The German Shepherd Dog

A purebred German shepherd has very particular characteristics, and these features are the same for all dogs of this breed:

• This is a medium to large dog with a very muscular build.
• The height of the male German shepherd is 24-inches to 26-inches tall.
• The female is slightly smaller at 22-inches to 24-inches tall.
• German shepherds are longer than they are tall, usually by 2-3 inches.
• Their fur is fairly thick and wiry, with a bushy tail.
• Colors on a German shepherd run from tan to brown to black.

The personality of the German shepherd dog is quite distinct. They are not shy, but they wear their aggressiveness well. They are a self-confident breed, and this shows in the way they carry themselves and their overall posture. German shepherds are not a mean or dangerous breed. This is a highly intelligent animal that gets along wonderfully with the entire family – children included – and is extremely loyal to their owners. In fact, they will defend their owners if the situation should require such action.

Because of their intelligence and high level of trainability, the German shepherd is often used as a police dog. This is where they get the reputation as being aggressive and fearsome. Keep in mind, however, that police dogs are trained to behave in a particular way and they act in response to certain situations, as they have learned in training. This is not necessarily natural behavior for this dog breed.

The Mystery Of The Miniature

It is not known where the mystery of the miniature German shepherd began, but it is a question that creeps up into the world of German shepherd dog breeding from time to time. As stated above, there is no official dog breed known as the miniature German shepherd. If someone tells you there is, they are not following the breeds set up by the American Kennel Club and other reputable dog breeding groups.

The origin of this false breed likely comes from the world of cross breeding. There are a number of online sources that claim the mini German shepherd is actually a cross between a German shepherd and a fox terrier. Of course, since authentic breeders recognize only one German shepherd dog, there is no way to officially confirm this fact.

The distinction of mini German shepherd usually comes from a dog owner whose pet has the appearance of a German shepherd but is much smaller than this breed is known to be. There is very little size variation found within the German shepherd breed. Males are slightly bigger than females, but there are not normally extreme differences from dog to dog.

If you have or acquire a dog that you think is a German shepherd but it is not at least 24-inches tall, then you do not have a pure bred dog. The characteristics of this breed have long been established and they rarely stray. Weight can be a subjective judge of size, but in general, German shepherd dogs weigh close to or above 100 pounds when they are full grown.